Texas John Slaughter by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.; Johnstone, J.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-11-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Leaning against the back of the bench, Slaughter woke with his arm around Viola and her head pillowed on his shoulder. His arm had gone to sleep, but under the circumstances the numbness was more than welcome since it was due to the warm presence of his wife.

Light had started to filter into the sanctuary through the stained glass in the tall, narrow windows. The sun was up. Sometime today the supply wagons full of stolen army rifles would arrive, he thought. The wagons had had to take the longer way around the Mule Mountains.

Without turning his head, Slaughter looked around. He seemed to be the only one of the prisoners awake. The others were stretched out on the benches, using blankets that Father Fernando had provided.

It wasn’t surprising that Slaughter was awake first. He usually rose before everyone else, although the hour was later than normal.

A different set of guards stood watch over the mission. Chaco Romero was talking quietly to the ones by the double doors.

Slaughter frowned as he pondered the situation. He didn’t want Romero and the other would-be revolutionaries getting away into Mexico with a load of rifles stolen from the U.S. Army. On the other hand, political shenanigans south of the border weren’t really any of his business except as they affected law and order in Cochise County. He had wanted to recover the money stolen from Tombstone, but now that he’d been reunited with Viola, it was really the only reason he was there.

He was more outraged by what Donelson and the rest of the deserters had done. They were responsible for the deaths of two of Tombstone’s citizens, and they were traitors to the oath they had sworn.

Not only that, but if the deal for the rifles was completed as planned, Donelson and his men would have the money. When Slaughter weighed everything, he knew that if it came down to a decision, he would allow Romero and the rest of the bandits to escape if it meant bringing Donelson’s bunch to justice and recovering the loot.

Of course, most people would think he was insane for even considering these things, he mused, since he was unarmed, vastly outnumbered, and a prisoner. But a man had to be prepared for fate to turn everything upside down. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be ready when the unexpected happened.

Viola stirred in his embrace. She murmured sleepily, “John?”

“I’m right here, my dear.” Slaughter pressed his lips to her head and tightened his arm around her shoulders.

“I was dreaming that we were back in our own bed on the ranch. But we’re not, are we?”

“I’m afraid not. But we’re together and we’re all right. That’s all that matters right now.”

She sat up a little straighter, turned her head, and kissed him. Then she slipped out of his embrace and sat beside him on the bench. He moved his arm around to get some of the feeling back into it.

Chaco noticed that they were awake and went over to them with a solemn look on his face.

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